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DAKAR, July 31 (Reuters) - Niger's regional and Western partners have announced a series of sanctions against the country following last week's coup. Another 978.47 billion francs was supposed to come from project grants and loans from external partners. These sanctions have been imposed on Niger since the coup:WEST AFRICA REGIONAL BLOCThe Economic Community of West African States and the West African Monetary and Economic Union have imposed some of the most stringent sanctions on Niger so far since the coup. Niger had planned to raise 490 billion CFA francs ($834 million) from the regional debt market in 2023. FRANCEFrance, another major partner of its former colony, suspended development aid and budget support with immediate effect, demanding a prompt return to constitutional order.

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis, Gabriela Baczynska, Juliette Jabkhiro, Nick Macfie Organizations: WEST AFRICA REGIONAL BLOC, Economic, West, Monetary and Economic Union, European Union, UNITED STATES, ., Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Niger, West African States, FRANCE France, France, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Washington, Brussels, Paris

BURKINA FASOBurkina Faso's army ousted President Roch Kabore in January 2022, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants. MALIA group of Malian colonels led by Assimi Goita ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020. But the coup leaders clashed with the interim president, retired colonel Bah Ndaw, and engineered a second coup in May 2021. Deby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, was named interim president and tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to elections. GUINEASpecial forces commander Colonel Mamady Doumbouya ousted President Alpha Conde in September 2021.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Roch Kabore, Colonel Paul, Henri Damiba, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Assimi Goita, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Bah Ndaw, Goita, CHAD Chad's, Idriss Deby, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, Mamady Doumbouya, Alpha Conde, Conde, Doumbouya, Bate Felix, Nick Macfie Organizations: Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, African, BURKINA FASO Burkina Faso's, Mali's West, Chadian, GUINEA Special, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Niamey, African Union, West, Central Africa, BURKINA FASO, MALI, Mali, N'Djamena, GUINEA

In the video, a Central African Republic rebel fighter says "the French want to drive Wagner out of Africa". Russia and Wagner have a track record of media manipulation and disinformation, which Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to. The European Union sanctioned Wagner in February for alleged rights abuses and spreading disinformation, including in Africa. The foreign ministry unit doesn’t promote or generate fake news, the two diplomats said. However, the foreign ministry unit, and the broader strategy, will face an uphill battle to convince people in Africa that France has changed, seven analysts and diplomats said.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Wagner, Catherine Colonna, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Maria Zakharova, Meta, Anne, Sophie Ave, Lakhta, Prigozhin, Viginum, Faustin, Archange Touadera, “, Michael Shurkin, I'm, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Michel Rose, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, Central, Facebook, Kremlin, Reuters, Quai D'Orsay, Vigilance, Protection, European Union, West, Central African, Twitter, Democratic, Internet Research Agency, Meta, Global, National Union, Gabonese, Thomson Locations: Burkina, French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Russia, PARIS, DAKAR, Central African Republic, France, Russian, Africa, Paris, France's, Ukraine, Moscow, Central, West Africa, Quai, Kinshasa, Mali, Sahel, Europe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, U.S, Togo, Libreville, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar

☆ Portugal to swap $153 million Cape Verde debt for nature investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, June 20 (Reuters) - Portugal plans to swap the entire 140 million euro ($152.91 million) debt it is owed by Cape Verde for investments in the archipelago's environmental and climate fund, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday. The two countries had already agreed in January to swap 12 million euros of debt repayments scheduled until 2025 and then assess the effectiveness of this mechanism in concrete projects. "We are sure the assessment we will make in 2025 will be positive and that we will be able to extend this mechanism to all 140 million euros of debt throughout its maturity," Costa said. Cape Verde's Silva said the investments will increase the country's resilience and achieve sustainable development goals. Cape Verde is 80% dependent on imported fossil fuel energy, which has risen sharply in price following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Costa, Ulisses Correia e Silva, Cape Verde's Silva, Sergio Goncalves, Inti Landauro, Susan Fenton Organizations: Cape Verde's, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portugal, Cape Verde, Lisbon, Cape, Africa, Portuguese, Ukraine

[1/5] People put out burning barricades that were set on fire by supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 1, 2023. Nine people were killed in clashes between riot police and Sonko supporters on Thursday after he was sentenced to two years for corrupting youth. The opposition says the verdict, which could prevent Sonko from running in elections next year, was politically motivated. Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar was the epicentre of Thursday's violence, with protesters setting buses alight and throwing rocks at riot police, who responded by firing tear gas. One student, Alioune Ndiaye, said he planned to travel hundreds of miles to his home in eastern Senegal to escape the violence.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Abdou Karim Fofana, Cheikh, Alioune Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Sall, Mouhamad Diouf, Diouf, Adji Sarr, Cheikh Hann, Bate Felix, Cooper Inveen, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Edward McAllister, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Army, Security, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Senegalese, West, Ouakam

Sonko, 48, was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021, when she was 20, and making death threats against her. "With this sentence Sonko cannot be a candidate," said one of his lawyers, Bamba Cisse. University law professor Ndiack Fall said Sonko could demand a retrial if he turns himself in to authorities. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Bamba Cisse, Ndiack Fall, Sonko's, Sonko, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon, Christina Fincher, Matthew Lewis Organizations: University, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Dakar, West, Dakar Senegal, Senegal

DAKAR, June 1 (Reuters) - Nine people were killed in Senegal on Thursday in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after a court sentenced him to two years in jail, casting serious doubt on his chances of running for president next year. The justice ministry said the opposition leader could now be taken to prison at any time. Police remained stationed around his home Dakar as unrest flared in the capital and elsewhere after the verdict. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel - an offence he also denies.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Bamba Ciss, Sonko's, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Abdou Karim Fofana, Ndiack Fall, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Diadie Ba, Edward McAllister, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Heavens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Police, REUTERS, University, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Dakar Senegal, West, Lincoln

Opposition MP Ramatoulaye Bodian said politicians and mayors had planned to visit Sonko at home on Monday, but were prevented by police who fired tear gas at them. Senegal's interior minister said Sunday's caravan had not sought permission and was stopped for security reasons. Senegal is seen as one of West Africa's strongest democracies and has a two-term limit for presidents. A guilty verdict could rule Sonko out of the election. Additional reporting by Joel Kouam Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain start World Cup defence against Brazil and Iran, U.S. draw Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 29 (Reuters) - Defending champions Spain will face Brazil in the group stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup while five-times winners United States will take on Greece, after the draw was held in Manila on Saturday. Spain, who are the top-ranked side in the world and seeking a third title, will also face Iran and Ivory Coast in Group G.The United States, ranked second in the world, were also drawn to face Jordan and New Zealand. As well as winning the tournament five times the U.S. are 12-times podium finishers -- both World Cup records -- but were eliminated in the quarter-finals in 2019 when they were chasing a third straight title. Argentina, were finalists in 2019 and ranked fourth in the world, failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 41 years. FIBA WORLD CUP DRAWGROUP A (MANILA)AngolaDominican RepublicPhilippinesItalyGROUP B (MANILA)South SudanSerbiaChinaPuerto RicoGROUP C (MANILA)United StatesJordanGreeceNew ZealandGROUP D (MANILA)EgyptMexicoMontenegroLithuaniaGROUP E (OKINAWA)GermanyFinlandAustraliaJapanGROUP F (OKINAWA)SloveniaCape VerdeGeorgiaVenezuelaGROUP G (JAKARTA)IranSpainIvory CoastBrazilGROUP H (JAKARTA)CanadaLatviaLebanonFranceReporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

From the 15th to the 19th century, 6 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. But so far Portugal has rarely commented on its past and little is taught about its role in slavery in schools. Reparations and public policies to fight inequalities caused by Portugal's past were essential, Cardoso said. "We continue to suffer in Brazil the effects of a legacy of slavery," Almeida said in a statement. Europe's top human rights group previously said Portugal had do more to confront its colonial past and role in the transatlantic slave trade in order to help fight racism and discrimination today.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Is global warming helping loggerhead turtles colonise the Med?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Borja Suarez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Borja SuarezTALIARTE, Spain, April 5 (Reuters) - Growing numbers of loggerhead sea turtles are nesting and laying eggs on western Mediterranean beaches in what some scientists suggest could be a case of climate change causing habitat expansion of a threatened species. Along with the warming sea water, another factor probably benefiting the world's largest hard-shelled turtle, which is considered a vulnerable species, are protection programmes in countries like Spain and Cape Verde. The group rescues injured turtles in Spain's Canary Islands and studies their population in Cape Verde, the eastern Atlantic's main reproduction area. Their size and hard shell generally protect them from predators, but fishnets, ship rotors and pollution have become significant threats. Reporting by Borja Suarez, writing by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Legal hurdles faced by LGBT+ people in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Africa accounts for nearly half of the countries worldwide where homosexuality is outlawed, according to the review, which was last updated in December 2020. - Life imprisonment is the maximum penalty for same-sex relations in Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, while jail terms of up to 14 years are possible in Gambia, Kenya and Malawi. - Broad protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation exists in three countries: Angola, Mauritius and South Africa. - South Africa is the only African country where gay marriage is legal and where the constitution protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, South Africa has high rates of rape and homophobic crime.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West formed what looked like an overwhelming global coalition: 141 countries supported a United Nations measure demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraw. South Korea Indonesia Israel Thailand Japan Saudi Arabia Philippines Afghanistan CambodiaBy contrast, Russia seemed isolated. Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus Syria Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus SyriaBut the West never won over as much of the world as it initially seemed. But like many other African countries, South Africa appears careful to balance its growing ties with Russia against maintaining a relationship with the West. Others that provided Ukraine with military support have declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

☆ THG appoints Damian Sanders as chief financial officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Portugal agrees to swap Cape Verde's debt for environmental investment, article with galleryEnvironment category · January 23, 2023Portugal has signed an agreement to swap Cape Verde's debt for investments in an environmental and climate fund that is being established by the archipelago nation off West Africa's coast, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday.

☆ Portugal agrees to swap Cape Verde's debt for environmental investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Portugal has signed an agreement to swap Cape Verde's debt for investments in an environmental and climate fund that is being established by the archipelago nation off West Africa's coast, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday. The former Portuguese colony, which is already suffering from rising sea levels and significant biodiversity loss due to increasing ocean acidity, owes around 140 million euros ($152 million) to the Portuguese state and over 400 million to its banks and other entities. Climate change is a challenge that takes place on a global scale and no country will be (environmentally) sustainable if all countries are not sustainable," Costa said during a state visit to Cape Verde in remarks broadcast by RTP television. Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva said his country needed to urgently enable mechanisms and financing instruments to support such solutions and deal with natural emergencies. ($1 = 0.9206 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Where are the safest places to travel in 2023? It depends on how you define 'safe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates Doha, Qatar Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singapore, SingaporeParis topped market research company Euromonitor International's "Top 100 City Destinations" for 2022, but the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, shown here, ranked highest in terms of health and safety. Its Travel Risk Map 2023 shows that much of North America and Western Europe — as well as places like Turkey, Israel, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates — have "low" medical risks. Medical risks by country. This map does not reflect the Covid-19 outbreak currently occurring in China, said Dr. Irene Lai, medical director at International SOS. Safest places: security risksInternational SOS's Travel Risk Map also assesses security risks, which include crime as well as political violence such as terrorism and war, social unrest and susceptibility to natural disasters, according to the company.

☆ Angolan court orders seizure of dos Santos's assets - Lusa news agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dos Santos has faced corruption accusations for years. In 2019, Angola's Supreme Court ordered the seizure of her assets for allegedly steering state funds to companies in which she held stakes during her father's presidency, including oil giant Sonangol. Dos Santos's father, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, died in July. A spokesperson for dos Santos did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The order comes after global police agency Interpol issued a red notice for dos Santos last month, asking global law enforcement authorities to locate and provisionally arrest her.

☆ U.S. court rejects bid by Maduro ally to dismiss money laundering charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saab Moran is being held in a Miami jail awaiting trial on charges of money laundering in the case. He was extradited to the United States the following year. The court rejected the validity of a 2018 credential used by Saab Moran to claim diplomatic status, adding it was not convinced it was related to his dealings with Iran. "At the time he was arrested, Saab Moran truly was no diplomat at all," the court ruled. U.S. prosecutors accuse Saab Moran of siphoning off some $350 million from Venezuela via the United States in a scheme that involved bribing Venezuelan government officials.

☆ Airline passengers were left in the wrong country overnight due to staffing issues
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Passengers on a TUI flight were delayed in Tenerife overnight due to staffing issues. Passengers were told airline staff had reached their maximum working hours, per the Liverpool Echo. All airline staff have mandated working hours to prevent them from working when fatigued. The flight was then delayed overnight and passengers were taken to hotels on the island, one passenger told the Liverpool Echo. A spokesperson for TUI told Insider: "We understand the frustration of customers on flight TOM439, who were delayed overnight in Tenerife."

November marks Native American Heritage Month, and the following 10 LGBTQ+ Indigenous trailblazers are bringing important representation to TV, challenging traditional gender expectations at powwows and elevating issues affecting Indigenous people, such as the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP fileRep. Sharice Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk nation, became the first LGBTQ Native American elected to Congress and one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress after winning her race for Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District in 2018. Scott, of Aurora, Colorado, who uses she and they pronouns, leverages her platform to highlight issues affecting the queer Indigenous community. “I just want to flood the industry with Indigenous people, Indigenous models, Indigenous stories, and Indigenous designers.”Kali Reis (KO)Kali Reis, who is Seaconke Wampanaak and Cape Verdean, is a trailblazing Indigenous two-spirit athlete who wears many hats. Native American Heritage Month invites non-Native folks in joining us in recognizing our histories and celebrating our communities.

"There's now a big push to get nature into sovereign debt markets," said Simon Zadek, executive director at NatureFinance, which advises governments on debt-for-nature swaps and other types of climate-focused finance. At that level, it would be the biggest debt-for-nature swap struck to date. The combined value of swap deals to date is $3.7 billion, according to the data. Securing the buy-in of development banks is usually key for the economics of a deal. The WWF has projects in Central and South America where they are monitoring deforestation by tracking jaguars, said Brenes, who has worked on debt-for-nature swaps for the last 25 years.

Three quarters of cars produced by South Africa's auto industry, which accounts for 5% of gross domestic product and over 100,000 jobs, are exported, mostly to European countries. Martina Biene, Volkswagen South Africa's new managing director, told Reuters the company's manufacturing facilities in the country do not plan an immediate pivot to producing electric vehicles. "I think by 2035 there will be production of electric vehicles in Africa ... but in the meantime we will export probably less to Europe than other countries." Volkswagen South Africa produced over 129,000 vehicles last year along with more than 58,000 engines, mostly destined for exports. That would focus on selling South African-manufactured petrol and diesel vehicles in most markets and imported EVs in countries like Mauritius, Cape Verde and South Africa as demand for more environmentally friendly cars picks up there.

CNN —For many, the name Patrick Vieira brings to mind one of the most dominant midfielders in English Premier League history. To the younger generation, he is now one of the up-and-coming modern managers emerging in the Premier League. But Vieira wants to remind the world that he was born in Senegal and is proud to be African. “The diversity of our French and French national team was a success as well as winning the World Cup.”Patrick Vieira holds aloft the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City in 2004. The former Arsenal captain is currently the only manager from an ethnic minority in the Premier League and only the 10th Black manager since the competition’s inception in 1992.

☆ Debt costs overshadow climate finance in small island states-report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Small developing island states heavily exposed to the effects of climate change and often in critical debt situations spend at least 18 times more on debt servicing than they receive in climate finance, a report showed. The Eurodad report found that the island states from Guinea-Bisseau to the Dominican Republic to Samoa received just $1.5 billion in climate finance between them between 2016-2020. Public debt levels in the island states had risen from an average of near 66% of GDP in 2019 to nearly 83% in 2020 and were set to remain above 70% until 2025, the report found. In June, the fund's executive board approved a $60 million programme for Cape Verde while Barbados struck a deal for $293 million in late September. The report found that more than 80% of the island states were in debt difficulties under criteria established by the IMF and World Bank Debt Sustainability Analysis, or by civil society groups Debt Justice UK and Jubilee Germany.

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